ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the concepts covered in the preceding chapters of this book. The book argues that, in Italy, politics, is a national past-time. Italy can be said to have been in continuous crisis since the war. The post-war crisis was followed by a crisis of traditional values as the Italian economy expanded in what was called the economic miracle. Italy was a paradox: no change in the political elites but massive changes in the social and economic fields. Unable to cope with the economic consequences of the oil crisis of 1973, the Christian Democratic Party (DC) was able, without any internal splits or major divisions, to turn to its only real opponent, the Italian Communist Party (PCI), and request its support in parliament in 1976. It got this support for three years and was able to re-emerge and once more form centre-left governments with the Italian Socialist Party (PSI).
